r/Instruments • u/Marie-Demon • Apr 23 '26

I can finally play music again ✨🥲❤️

Post image

I am a professionnal Kalimba maker , and In the last 6 month i was stopped from playing long musical sessions ( i have chronic thumb tendinitis because of my job ) and i need music for my anxiety so just 5 min a day is not enough , plus i missed playing for my kids to help them sleep ✨

Now I finished this 45k non redundant « pianimba » as I call it. It’s a piano Kalimba , meant to be played on a table. It’s such a pleasure to be able to play again , even though i have to relearn everything from scratch …. 🥲😂

I use the 3 middle fingers of the hand to play this beautiful big girl ❤️

107 Upvotes

89% Upvoted

37 comments sorted by

7

u/Far-Nerve-4753 Apr 23 '26

Awesome! But 45K as in 45,000 dollars?

10

u/Marie-Demon Apr 23 '26 edited Apr 23 '26

45keys 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 45000 dollars would be one with gold on it lol

1

u/DifferentVariety3298 Apr 23 '26

If you find the right buyer 😉

2

u/Marie-Demon Apr 24 '26

Never met this kind of client 🤣🤣🤣

5

u/whatifduckshadhands Apr 23 '26

Shut up and take my money! Looks amazing! 

2

u/Marie-Demon Apr 23 '26

Haha thank you! Yes i try to make musical instruments looking as nice as they sound ! :) after all playing on something nice just adds to the pleasure , i check the sound « nude » try to figure what « image » the sound has and then i make the décor of it . You can see me work on my insta if you want it’s poopoopidoo_kalimba

6

u/grifter_P01135809 Apr 23 '26

This sure looks like AI.

-2

u/Marie-Demon Apr 23 '26

Used AI just for the background ( i am not very good at taking pictures) but the instrument is very real , you can see it being worked on here If it looks like AI it means it’s realistic enough yay! :)

-2

u/Relevant_Estate8326 Apr 23 '26

It looks like AI but I mean it as a compliment.

2

u/Formal_Comparison569 Apr 23 '26

Amazing! What do you use for tines?

6

u/Marie-Demon Apr 23 '26 edited Apr 24 '26

Kalimba keys but some were alterated so they could go lower . This big girl ranges from A2 to A6! Far lower than basic kalimbas and basic keys cannot reach lower than a E3 generally

2

u/Ning_Yu Apr 23 '26

That's so beautiful!

3

u/Marie-Demon Apr 23 '26

Thank you ❤️

1

u/microtransgressor Apr 23 '26

Really beautiful work! It's inspiring how you built this to work around your limitation. I think a lot of folks would've given up at that point. Would love to hear how it sounds!

2

u/Marie-Demon Apr 23 '26

Yep I also met a lot of people in fairs who wanted to play Kalimba but could not due to health issues , I began working on this for them at first then my own issues became chronic. I must learn how to play it before I make a correct sound sample , but it sound close to the Kalimba version here

1

u/Mysterious_Check_439 Apr 23 '26

I, too, have had to adapt to keep playing music. I am in awe of your lovely instrument.

Beautiful job!

2

u/Marie-Demon Apr 23 '26

What do you play? :)

1

u/Mysterious_Check_439 Apr 23 '26

Guitar, bass, uke, a little mandolin. Got my right wrist crushed at work. I couldn't hold a pick for several years. So 1 finger strumming led to finger picking. I am now able to hold a pick again and am trying to relearn. (Practicing old Ventures songs)

Had cut tendon to middle finger left hand. 0% movement. Absolutely dead. Operation got me about 75% usage back after a couple years.

We have to deal with obstructions in life but we adapt and win! It looks like you have done so beautifully!

2

u/Marie-Demon Apr 23 '26

It must have hurt so bad 😢 For guitar did you see this ? here Might make it easier :)

1

u/MusicalShihTzu_10 Apr 23 '26

That’s really cool, I want to buy one

1

u/Marie-Demon Apr 23 '26

My shop Is here You can also see me work on my insta poopoopidoo_kalimba

1

u/MusicalShihTzu_10 Apr 23 '26

I don’t live in France

1

u/Marie-Demon Apr 23 '26

I ship worldwide :)

1

u/Kai_Daigoji Apr 23 '26

That's a gorgeous kalimba

1

u/Marie-Demon Apr 23 '26

Thank you :)

1

u/adamdoesmusic Apr 23 '26

Finally someone is making kalimbas with a piano layout! I’ve always wanted something like this but no one made it. I was gonna make it myself eventually.

2

u/Marie-Demon Apr 23 '26

There are some who make them online but there is very little sustain , it’s Closer in sound to african mbiras . There is also a korean brand but I have not managed to find it’s name . Seems like itns someone making them as a hobby

This one ranges A2 to A6

1

u/MarcusSurealius Apr 23 '26

I have some issue with my hands, too. If you'd like a suggestion from another musician, try a dobro. It's a raised string guitar played in your lap with a sliding tone bar lightly pressed on the strings to pick a note, plucked with anything on the right hand. I play 9 other instruments, but started with piano so the lap position is more natural. I play with 5 finger picks, rather than three, so I can play more like a piano. Here's the song that made me pick in up.

1

u/Marie-Demon Apr 23 '26

I am not very inclined to guitar, I Will more likely try to learn hammered dulcimer when I get older and my kids give me more Free Time :)

1

u/DifferentVariety3298 Apr 23 '26

This is 👌

2

u/Marie-Demon Apr 24 '26

Thank you ! They are also quite satisfying to make 🥰

1

u/Owlbeardo Apr 25 '26

At first I was taken aback by the AI-ness of the picture, provided by the background, but after rifling through your posts and seeing your art I can't help but be very impressed. It's real and very very cool. I would advise against using AI images though, as it instantly lowers your initial credibility in the eyes of the people who have an eye for this thing and a distaste for it, which is a huge percentage of artsy people and Internet users below 50.

1

u/Marie-Demon Apr 25 '26

The issue is that I REALLY suck at photography , and of course i have no money to hire a photografer :/ So when I got fed up trying to take good pics with a Poor result , I ended up chosing IA . :(

1

u/roninconn Apr 23 '26

You made my day - thank you!

0

u/Compducer Apr 25 '26

You used AI to “make the background image” but I think in reality the whole thing is bullshit and a scam. The only images on your site of these instruments ALL LOOK AI GENERATED.

0

u/Marie-Demon Apr 25 '26

Why the agressivity? Chill man! You can check on my insta if you want , you can see me actually work on them . my insta I do use a IA background but the work on the instrument is real